XENIA, OH – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife will again hold controlled hunts on Fallsville, Indian Creek, Bott,  Spring Valley, and Rush Run Wildlife Areas by permit only Sept. 1 and 2, 2011.  These areas will be open to all other dove hunters after the first 2 days of the season. Youth priority hunts will take place at St. Marys Fish Hatchery. Accommodations will be provided to handicapped dove hunters that are selected for the controlled dove hunts.  They should contact the staff at the wildlife areas.

Rush Run, Fallsville, Spring Valley, Indian Creek, and Bott wildlife areas will hold drawings, for controlled hunts on Saturday, August 27th at the respective public hunting area headquarters at 12:00 p.m. (noon) .Drawings for the Sept. 2nd hunt will be held the day of the hunt at noon.   There will be no drawings held on Thursday, September 1.  Bott wildlife area will hold its drawings at the Indian Creek Headquarters.

St. Marys Fish Hatchery “opening day” hunt will be drawn on August 27, 2011, 12:00 p.m. (noon) at the hatchery.  Drawings for September 3rd, 6th, 10th,13th and 17th will be held at noon on the days of the hunts at the St. Marys Fish Hatchery.   Youth will be given priority on the September 1st and 3rd hunts only.  An adult must be present with the youth(s). The office address is 01735 Feeder Rd. St. Marys, OH 45885. The hatchery office phone number (419) 394-5170. You can download a map of Grand Lake St. Marys online. The hatchery is located at the east end of the lake.

Hours for dove hunting on District Five wildlife areas, controlled and non-controlled, are noon to sunset from Sept. 1-10, 2011.  Hours are sunrise to sunset for the remainder of the dove hunting season.

In order to participate in the drawings hunters will be required to present a 2011-2012 hunting license and current Harvest Information Program (HIP) certification prior to the drawing. HIP certification is free and can be accomplished by calling 1-877-HIP-OHIO. For more information on HIP please go to http://www.fws.gov/hip/ .

Hunters with questions are encouraged to call the Wildlife Area headquarters or the Wildlife District Five office for information on these controlled hunts, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Ohio's dove hunting season runs September 1 through October 23 and December 17 through January 2, 2012, with a daily limit of 15 birds and a possession limit of 30 birds. Special controlled dove hunting rules, information and maps are available online. 

 

-30-